


Learning

by tiifalockhart



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Day At The Beach, F/M, Gen, M/M, SHY sephiroth, Teaching, The Pocky Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29780961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiifalockhart/pseuds/tiifalockhart
Summary: Sephiroth has spent a lot of his life in war or in Shinra, so you begin to suspect he may have missed out on a lot of things growing up. You take this opportunity to teach him about anything and everything.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Reader
Comments: 14
Kudos: 23





	Learning

**Author's Note:**

> This is genuinely one of my favorite pieces so far. I enjoy writing Sephiroth as a more domestic person while staying true to his character. He's such a lovely and complex character !!!

It’s a known secret that Sephiroth was fairly… _Sheltered_ because of Hojo in Shinra. As many battles he’s been in and as many places he’s traveled, he still doesn’t seem to understand much outside of fighting and war. It tugged at your heartstrings, the way you’d talk about something with so much passion and excitement, yet Sephiroth wouldn’t necessarily understand what you were talking about and hold that same adorably cute confused face

So, you decided to take this into your own hands. Slowly and surely, your relationship turned into a conquest of teaching Sephiroth about anything and everything. It ranged from simple things such as feeling the sand between his toes on a warm summer day, to achievements like marriage and old age, however old he may be when he’s considered a senior citizen (do enhanced people age normally?). 

It all started one day when you were showing him your favorite snacks. The two of you made it a habit to go grocery shopping weekly, mostly for weekly meals, but you wanted to branch out and let him try other foods. Unfortunately, Sephiroth seemed to really know Shinra’s cafeteria food, lab food, and whatever ungodly meals they prepared for war. You jumped on this opportunity to let him try your favorites, and your least favorites, giving him a wide variety of snacks. You began to check off your list: pocky, pickles, spicy chips, cheez-its, popcorn, trail mix, regular chips, you even bought ingredients to make ants-on-a-log and peanut butter crackers. Hopefully, this was enough to give him a wide variety of tastes… 

It hadn’t even occurred to you that it wasn’t a healthy idea until he brought it up. Sephiroth stared down at the grocery cart full of random items stacked on top of your weekly usual, his face holding an unreadable expression. “Have you thought that maybe this is too much?” He asked, looking over at you. God, how was he so cute?

“Well, no. But it’s worth it. If you go into sugar shock, I can always call the hospital and hope that they know what to do with you.” You joked, giggling at his slightly disgruntled expression. 

Once the two of you arrived home, you laid the snacks out on the kitchen table, smiling up at him innocently. “What would you like to try first?” You asked, tilting your head to the side. 

The way he reacted to your question made it seem like he was solving a mathematical problem in his head. He analyzed each snack with his eyes, looking between them all in silence. You began to grow nervous that he might actually be a picky person and you were pressuring him to eat. Eventually, he silently pointed to the box of pocky. “I like chocolate.” He stated simply, which made you smile. 

“Pocky, hm? Have you ever heard of the pocky game?” You asked, a mischievous grin taking over your features. He raised a brow at the mention of it, shaking his head simply. You opened the box and took out one of the chocolate-covered sticks, placing it between his lips. “Try it first, see if you like it.” You instructed. 

Hesitantly, Sephiroth took a bite from the biscuit, chewing the small piece for a moment before nodding approvingly. “It… Is good.” He answered, taking more bites until it was gone. 

You grinned and pulled out another stick. “Perfect. Would you like to play the pocky game, then?” You asked sweetly, which he smiled in response and nodded. “Good, good… So basically, it’s a race to finish the pocky. We both start at different ends and take bites until we reach the middle.” You explained innocently. 

Sephiroth raised a brow. “Is this a trap to kiss me? You could just ask-”

“Silence, we’re going to play the game.” You responded, smiling innocently and placing the biscuit between your lips. Sephiroth stared down at your innocent gaze and sighed, trying to hide the smile making its way onto his lips. Giving in, he began to nibble along the opposite side of the stick. Slowly, the two of you got closer and closer to the middle, a sly grin making its way to your lips as a very very slight blush formed on Sephiroth’s cheeks. Eventually, you surrendered the rest of the pocky to him, planting a gentle peck against his lips and pulling away. “Not bad, right?” You asked, a teasing smile on your features as he finished the pocky. 

“…Yes.” He answered awkwardly, which made your heart flutter. “It was good.” He added with a firm nod as if he were confirming it with himself. After that, the two of you indulged in snacks for the rest of the day, Sephiroth naming which ones he thought were good, and the rest he preferred to stab with Masamune (he wasn’t particularly fond of the spicy chips and pickles). 

After that day, the two of you began to plan small vacations and road trips all over the world, your first stop being Costa Del Sol. “There’s nothing like feeling the sun on your skin with the nice sandy breeze of a beach.” You explained with a grin, eagerly pulling him along the sandy path. Sephiroth struggled to walk at first, he was still not used to wear flip-flops. Once the two of you arrived at the beachfront, you ignored his quiet complaints of how hot it was. “The water is probably cool.” You stated, placing your things down in a decent spot. After laying out your towels and removing your cover-ups, you turned to the now shirtless Sephiroth and grabbed the tube of sunscreen. “Someone as pale as you should be lathered in sunscreen.” You stated, squirting quite a bit into your hands. “Turn around and hold up your hair.”

Sephiroth groaned quietly, turning his back to you and pulling his braided hair over his shoulder. “What is… Sunscreen? And how does it work?” He asked, furrowing his brows and shuddering at the cold lotion touching his skin. 

“It’s a lotion, it helps you from not getting sunburned.” You explained, carefully lathering the lotion along his back. 

“What is a sunburn?” He asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. “Is it dangerous?” 

“It can be.” You answered, turning him around and reaching up to carefully place the lotion on his face. “Sunburns happen when you’re out in the sun too long with no protection. You get all red and scaly, and it hurts really bad.” You explained, pinching his cheek and giggling. 

“Oh… Then, should I help you with your sunscreen?” He asked, holding out his hand to help. You raised your brows in surprise. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to offer to help, but I don’t mind.” You responded, snickering and turning around. Sephiroth carefully placed some of the sunscreen in his hands, glaring at the odd texture for a moment, before beginning to rub it against your back. 

“…When do I stop?” He asked, tilting his head to the side as he continued to lather your back and shoulders. 

“Until I’m covered and you think it’s enough.” You shrugged, smiling up at him innocently. He hesitated and nodded, slowly pulling his hands away from your skin. 

Once the two of you were covered, you tossed the sunscreen back in your bag. “What do you want to do now?” You asked, looking up at him and raising a brow. 

“…What do people usually do at the beach?” He asked, his tone sounding slightly confused. “Zack said last time he was here, he had to fight people with an umbrella.” Sephiroth pointed out, staring down at you. He was so adorable, it physically hurt. 

“Nooo, no, people do other things than fight.” You began, looking around. “Here, I’ll give you a few options. We can go in the water, which is probably cool. We can relax on the sand, maybe tan a little. We can also build a sandcastle. There’s also the pier nearby, maybe they have something we can explore.” You explained, crossing your arms.

Sephiroth hesitated, thinking through each of the options, once again analyzing each of them. He looked over at you quietly as if he were searching for help. “What would you like to do?” He asked, furrowing his brows. You swore you could see somewhat of a pout on his face. 

“I’m fine with anything. You choose.” You responded stubbornly, crossing your arms and smiling at his somewhat troubled expression. “There’s no wrong answer, we can do whatever you want.”

He nodded and continued thinking it all through. Finally, he looked over at you. “I would like… To build a sandcastle.” He answered, looking down at the sand below him. You smiled and immediately gathered the buckets and shovels you brought with you.

“Good idea! It’ll be a lot of fun. You’re doing great.” You praised, which made him smile somewhat. The two of you took a seat on the sand and began to dig up a moat, planning out how the castle will look and building a small bridge. Occasionally, one of you would get up and rush to the water, gathering some in a bucket before returning and continuing to build. Eventually, the two of you finished a decently sized sandcastle. You smiled over at Sephiroth proudly. “Not bad for your first time! Wasn’t that fun?” You asked, taking his hand. 

He stared down at the sandcastle and nodded. “I liked that. It was fun.” He responded, looking down at you. “What now?” 

“What do you want to do next? We still have the whole day.” You asked, smiling up at him sweetly. He raised a brow, looking around at the options again before nodding firmly. 

“Let’s go to the pier.” He decided, this time a little more quickly. You smiled proudly and took his hand. 

“Sounds good, maybe they’ll have ice cream.” You pointed out, pulling him along happily. The rest of the day, you watch Sephiroth grow more and more comfortable at the beach, eventually getting in the chilly water. 

Sephiroth ended up learning so much about you, the world, and all the activities out there. It was years until the two of you began to even consider settling down with each other. Sephiroth was into the idea, but you were the one who ended up being unsure. You’ve taught Sephiroth about so much, but were you really the one for him? Maybe he wasn’t in love with you, maybe he stayed with you because he kept learning more and more, finally understanding what it felt like to be loved and cared for properly and knowing what happiness. Unfortunately, this feeling didn’t go away for months, even close to a year. Was it better to let go of Sephiroth? Maybe give him the chance to figure it out on his own? Maybe you weren’t the best fit for him, maybe someone else out there is a better fit for him, and he just believes it’s you because of what you’ve taught him.

So, the day before the two of you finalized the purchase of your first house together, you sat him down for a moment to talk it over with him. Sephiroth was confused as to why you seemed… Upset. Everything had been so great, the two of you were starting your life together officially. He couldn’t think of a single reason why you’d be upset. Worry and nervousness began to flood his veins. 

You quietly took a seat across from him, unable to hide the troubled expression on your features. “Seph… You know I love you, right?” You began, which caused him to flinch slightly. 

“I do.” He answered stoically. “Is something wrong?” 

“No… No, nothing’s wrong. Everything’s just right. There’s just… One thing that’s been bothering me lately.” You prefaced, hesitantly reaching out to take his hands. “We’ve been in this together for so long. You’ve learned so much and you’ve grown a lot as a person. I’m… Afraid, that maybe there’s a better option out there than me for you.” You explained, a nervous look on your features. 

Confusion flooded his expression as he stared over at you. “I-” He stopped himself, attempting to figure out what you were talking about. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Sephiroth muttered, looking down at his hands. Did he mess up?

You noticed his confused and guilty expression, hesitating. Maybe this was a bad idea. “I-I’m not trying to say anything bad or like… Break up or anything. I just wanted to know if you’re sure that you want to do this. After this, it’ll be hard to go back. I don’t want you to do something because you feel like you’ve been pressured into it.” You explained hurriedly, concern forming on your face. “I care about you so much, I just want you to be sure this is what you want.”

He stared down at you in confusion, slowly shaking his head as he turned to face you. “I still don’t understand. Why do you think I’m here because you’ve pressured me?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. “I haven’t stayed with you because I feel pressured or trap. If anything, I feel the opposite of that. I felt pressured and trapped with those scientists, but with you, I feel free and happy.” He gripped your hands carefully, pressing soft and gentle kisses to your knuckles. 

You stared at him and smiled sadly, slowly wrapping your arms around him carefully. “I’m glad… I want nothing more than for you to be comfortable and happy.” You confessed, a soft sigh leaving your lips. “I just wanted to make sure you felt that you were doing the right thing for you, not for me or anyone else.” 

He nodded lightly and pulled away, cupping your cheeks carefully and pressing a delicate kiss to your lips. “Can we get married now?” Sephiroth asked, a small and faint smile forming on his lips. 

You giggled softly, your cheeks heating up. “Fine, fine. We’ll get married now.” You responded, cupping his cheeks and pressing a kiss to his lips.

Your final lesson for him would have been what it felt like to be loved. When the two of you stood together on your wedding day, holding each other’s hands and gazing into each other’s eyes, Sephiroth was sure that what he felt for you was love. But it wasn’t any regular love, he loved his friends as well, this was unending love. The two of you were completely enthralled with each other, willingly captured in an ever-lasting bond. 

Your lifelong wish at this point was to always make sure Sephiroth felt loved, even if your ups and downs, in sickness and in health, he’d never feel the way he did in those labs. Instead of fixing his past, you both collectively agreed to move forward and carry on, not allowing it to drag him down. It made you happy to see him in a much better state, he’s grown so much in the years the two of you have been together. You were proud and thankful.

Sephiroth was thankful as well. Not a day went back where he looked in your face and examined your features, each memory of the two of you flashing in his mind. You were perfect to him, everything he could have ever imagined. You gave him a second chance, something he was never sure he would have gotten.


End file.
